Reports of rift within the PML-N gained credence when Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz remained absent during a party meeting that was presided over by party supremo Nawaz Sharif from London via video link. The meeting did proceed as announced, however it was not attended by either party president Shehbaz or his son Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza. Asked why was the party president and his son’s name in the presser issued by the party a day earlier, Khan said he was not aware about it. Asked how the party could begin reorganising its lowest tier without Shehbaz, he said all he could say was that the party president was not scheduled to attend the meeting. The source noted that Shehbaz’s absence from the DG Khan meeting was an “escalation of a war of narratives” in the party.

Source: The Express Tribune September 16, 2021 05:48 UTC